The Shadow Over Us
by redskywalker29
Summary: Their happy ending was achieved, but a few friends were left behind. Flowey stayed in the Underground despite Frisk's best efforts, and Chara refused any help in restoring their body. Even as their peace was threatened, Frisk was going to help their friends and family. The problems were tough, but Frisk was determined to help everyone. A story of second chances and forgiveness.
1. A Flower, ambassador, and a ghost

Sunlight shone through the crack in the earth above, the only sign of warmth in the foreboding Underground. It felt nice, Flowey supposed, if he could actually feel anything. Still, it was better than staying in the desolate throne room, the only other room in the Underground where he could sit and sunbathe in relative comfort. The throne room held too many memories, of which Flowey had no eager need to relive.

" _Someone has to take care of these flowers."_

It wasn't all bad, Flowey supposed. While not technically an actual flower, his energy replenished whenever he napped in the sun. It served as an alternative to raiding whatever was in the fridge of the now empty houses. Their owners had left behind many useful trinkets in their frantic scurry to go to the surface and finally see the sun. He supposed the food would run out at some point, and he should conserve it, but it didn't stop him from eating whatever sugary treat he could find left behind in the fridges at Snowdin. Sugar tasted relatively nice, and sometimes it even made him feel like he could actually enjoy it.

 _"I don't want to break their hearts all over again."_

The Royal Family was among the first monsters to leave. With human ambassador in tow, they no doubt were entrenched in homes on the surface. No humans came storming across the Underground to finish off monsterkind after the first few days, which made Flowey suppose they at least tolerated the monsters. Close friends to the returning Queen and Ambassador followed the royal family with frantic packing and a rush to introduce humanity to the long imprisoned monsters. When they didn't end up dead, more monsters followed.

 _"And in the end, everyone went free, right?"_

There were few monsters left, and they were there only for short visits to pick up whatever they left behind in the move. As time carried on, those visits became shorter and shorter. Flowey was left free to move around however he liked. Nobody was left to stop him from doing whatever he wanted, which usually amounted to rereading old books and taking care of the flowers. The underground became empty with none of the idiots left to bother a flower.

Well that wasn't strictly true. There was one person who kept coming back...

"I told you you idiot! Don't you have anything better to do!"

* * *

The supplies were there in the backpack: Granola bars for snack, monster food in case of injuries, cell phone to call home in case of emergencies, box system attached to the phone to provide more food, and most importantly, an unused flower pot. Frisk was adamant in packing their usual supplies for the trip up Mt. Ebbot, and no force would be enough to stop them. After all, they were determined.

"Are you sure you want to do this my child? The mountain is far from here. What if you get hurt?" Frisk's adoptive mother, Toriel, placed a paw on Frisk's shoulder. "We can stay inside and read some books! I found a new one about exotic snails!" Toriel's eyes lit up in excitement.

 _* "No surprise that she would go with snails." *_

Chara groaned, but affection sprang in their words. Frisk was the only one who could hear or see them, so they were busy making faces behind Toriel's back in the hopes of Frisk laughing. Chara's lack of visibility sometimes make it a bit awkward to talk to them, but they tried to keep themselves entertained.

Frisk shrugged their shoulders in resignation towards Chara before turning to Toriel and moving their hands to sign, "we can read later when I get home Mom."

Toriel bent down as she began to fuss over Frisk's backpack again. "I know dear child, but I still feel uncomfortable. Blame it on a poor old woman's worries, but I'd feel safer if someone went with you. What if you fall?"

"If I fall then I'll just have to free another long lost civilization Mom!" Frisk giggled as they moved Toriel's hands back and adjusted their backpack. "Besides. I can always call and have Sans pick me up!"

 _* "Oh great. Your backup plan is the lazy comedian." *_

" _You're just as bad sometimes. Need I remind you the time you took control and had a full pun war with Sans? Asgore looked like he was going to cry."_

 _* "Half of those were yours!" *_

Talking to Chara felt significantly easier than talking to others as they didn't have to worry about using sign language. While Frisk usually would sign when they were alone as a matter of habit, the fact they were sharing souls made communication easy.

Toriel unknowingly interrupted the two's dialogue when she stood up. "I know you don't want anyone to go with you, but why don't I drive you to the base of the mountain? It might actually save some free time for you later."

At Frisk's reluctant nod, Toriel moved to her room, no doubt to grab something before driving them. Frisk stretched in place as Chara floated in front of them with a raised eyebrow. Frisk ignored them, continuing their movements which worked for the approximate ten seconds before Chara took their ghostly hand and began waving it in front of their face.

 _* "Why did you let them know where you've been disappearing too all these evenings?" *_

"I didn't want them to worry."Frisk moved to touch their toes to get blood flowing and in addition, take their attention off Chara's judging eyes. Now that their mother left, they could indulge in their habit of signing to Chara. Talking through their souls felt weird.

 _* "You could have said you were off with friends!" *_ They floated closer to Frisk. Frisk cast their eyes somewhere else.

"And when they checked with them? I don't like keeping secrets from them. I already helped Alphys with her secrets!. I know what they do, and I already have to keep the fact that I'm haunted by the ghost of my adoptive mother's dead child a secret!" Frisk signed. It was stressful to use their connection when Chara disagreed with them.

 _* "It would only be a disappointment to find out that I've been here the whole time" *_

Frisk let out a breath more in disappointment than any actual breathing. "I'm sure Alphys would be able to help you!"

 _* "I'm working on a way to do it myself! Trust me. Until then, the only ones who need to know are you and Flowey. Your fault by the way." *_

Frisk shot Chara a look. "He was calling me by your name as he repeatedly slaughtered us! He deserved to know!"

"What was that my child? I could not quite catch those hand signs, but you look agitated."'

Frisk blinked in a flurry of panic as they realized Toriel walked back into the room without alarming the two. "Nothing Mom!" They turned their head back to Chara and stuck their tongue out at them. "Can we get going?"

* * *

It made Chara far too happy to know when they broke the barrier, Asgore hadn't gotten the chance to name a new monster town some far too literal name like Monstertown.

They were still skeptical when the humans had, in fact, not slaughtered all of monsterkind for existing, but they supposed there was still time for murder. A variety of factors, such as the calm and poised ambassador of monster kind and lovable mascot named Papyrus convinced the humans to not shoot first immediately.

It helped when monsterkind's ambassador was an adorable child.

Frisk still couldn't convince Chara that everything would be fine. Whenever they did, Chara would bring up the insults and threats they suffered at school and around the town as they finished negotiations. Humans were a species who never changed, and Chara still remembered dying at the hands of humanity. Tell them that humans could change with Frisk being the exception.

Personal feelings on the fact that humanity was useless aside, Chara was pleasantly surprised when the human governments allowed monsters to mingle in the surrounding countryside and small town near the mountain. No one had been killed yet, which came as an unexpected relief to Chara who'd been expecting a full on genocide. Humans limiting themselves to petty crimes and insults was far better than anything they dreamed.

Moving out of the mountains was slow, but eventually, most monsters moved outside the mountain and many even moved farther out then the little country outside Ebbot town. Humanity was willing to not let monsters be confined once they realized they unknowingly imprisoned a species for centuries. Frisk performed their ambassador duties with an admirable fervor against the hate crimes and discriminatory laws that the people debated on. Their role was probably the only thing convincing humanity that monsters weren't all bad.

Chara knew the other shoe would drop at some point, but until then, they could rest and enjoy the fact that their family could finally see the sky.

Most of their family anyway.

* * *

Walking through the Underground was getting easier to do. When Frisk first fell, it would have taken days to trek through the new sights and sounds regardless of how many monsters tried to kill them. Now it only took a few hours with knowledge of a couple shortcuts and a brisk pace past the long abandoned houses and sights.

Chara always complained about the trip cutting into their free time on the surface, but the complaining was a pastime, to be honest, as they never once asked Frisk to stop making these trips. Once a week, during the weekends like clockwork. They'd go up Saturday or Sunday morning and hope to be down at some point to go to Toriel's newly established school. They were determined to keep the schedule.

Even if Flowey hated it.

* * *

They were back.

"I told you you idiot! Don't you have anything better to do!" Flowey turned around as a noise alerted him to Frisk's return. Despite having traversed the entirety of the underground and a mountain to boot, they were fine for wear. Their purple and blue sweater clung tight to their sides and occasionally they'd turn to adjust whatever new bandage they accumulated on the surface.

Flowey noticed, after Frisk's first few trips back to the underground, the number of bandages increased as the weeks progressed. They'd shrug and tell him it was because they would trip and fall a lot. Flowey didn't think so. Some of the bandages barely covered what was bruised skin and Frisk once come down the mountain with a visible black eye and stayed for the next few nights until they were sure it had healed completely with leftover monsterfood. Flowey was pretty sure you didn't get those from falling.

Frisk smiled as they caught Flowey observing them, waving their hands in a gesture of welcome. Flowey shook himself out of his thoughts before snarling in their direction. "Just leave already!" Frisk shook their head. Guess like they wanted to do this the hard way.

Flowey made sure to aim his friendliness pellets well.

Unfortunately for him though, Frisk was well used to the occasional murderous welcome. Without a moment of hesitation, they vaulted over the pellets. An irksome smile sprang to their face as they ducked a second wave and sidestepped a massive vine Flowey sent their way. Flowey only groaned as Frisk rushed forward and tapped his head.

Flowey sent one last lackluster volley of pellets Frisk didn't even need to jump to avoid. They landed and struck a pose, winking at the flower while sticking one of ther fingers in the air with a dramatic flair no doubt learned from the stupid fish's anime or Mettaton. "You tried less than usual today!" Frisk still smiled that irksome grin.

Huh. He guessed he did try a little less than usual today. He'd better fix whatever the kid was hoping. "Idiot! Don't think I'm giving up trying to kill you! You come barging in here again and again! One of these days, I'll actually finish the job!" He finished by shifting his face to a murderous grimace. "I'll kill you and all your friends! I'll destroy all of humanity and it will be all your fault!"

Less than impressed, Frisk raised an eyebrow. Flowey continued his murderous grin and for a few seconds, the two were at an impasse. Neither budged as they waited for the first person to break eye contact.

* "You two are both idiots" *

Flowey dropped his grin immediately as Chara's words came out of Frisk's little used mouth. "Chara! Do you want to finish where we left off?"

* "No."*

Flowey's petals drooped even though he expected the answer. "Yeah, thought so." He looked around for a moment before perking up. "Hey idiot! Where did you leave the watering can? I couldn't find it! I had to go all the way over to Home to find a new one!"

Frisk gazed around for a few seconds with brows furrowed in concentration. Where did they last put it? Flowey stifled a yawn as Frisk perked up and scurried over to a corner in the room he somehow missed. A watering can layed half overturned and completely empty. Frisk waved it to catch his attention before placing it right in front of him.

"Help me fill it." Flowey snapped and the two began walking over to the nearest monster house, now left abandoned since its previous owner moved to the surface. He silently watched as Frisk filled it.

* "You don't have to do this anymore. They're just flowers* "

"Bring it over to the flowers" Flowey ordered and used a vine to point out a familiar clearing right before the ruins started.

* "I'm serious. It's not important. Their hardy enough to last without being watered anyway." *

Next to him, Frisk slowly dragged the watering can past the area where Flowey once greeted the human. A meeting he didn't regret in the slightest, though he supposed it would be a lot more difficult to water the flowers without Frisk's help.

* "If you have the idea that I'm attached to this area because I happen to be buried here, you'd be wrong!" *

Still ignoring Chara, Flowey burrowed his way next to a patch of golden slightly bruised flowers and pulled Frisk's attention to them. "I tried watering them earlier, but I couldn't find the can. Why'd you put it over there anyway? Now I have to two watering cans which are impossible to use!" Flowey whined. Frisk only shrugged as their hands were full, and Chara was too busy protesting to talk for them. They carefully started pouring an even layer onto the flowers so all of them would get some water. Flowey would occasionally interrupt with a "missed a spot" or "someone like you can't even water flowers properly!" but for the most part, it was silent.

* "They are flowers. How many times do I need to tell you? I'm right here floating right next to you Azzy!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Flowey resumed his murderous grin and his vines tore through the soil. "Asriel is dead. He died because he couldn't muster the courage to save you and now you're a ghost!"

Flowey couldn't see wherever Chara's ghost was, so he did the next best thing and stared at Frisk with a killer's intent. Chara's words came spilling out of Frisk's unused mouth.

* "It is not your fault. You are not the one who suggested killing themselves in the first place."*

Frisk's arms came waving up and down in pointless gestures of anger as Chara took full control of Frisk.

Flowey didn't budge an inch as they got closer to him. "If Asriel had done something, you'd be alive and we'd be able to get to the surface years ago! We could have finished off humanity like you wanted!"

Frisk's body twitched. * "You are Asriel, and it is not your fault. Now you're just a flower who still refuses to go to the surface." *

"And ruin Frisk's happy ending?" Flowey scoffed pointing at Frisk. "Frisk keeps asking me to come up, but I can't because I'll kill all the humans who made you suffer." Flowey paused then his mouth twitched up in a grin.

"Unless that's what you want. Think about it. I promise not to touch a hair on your friends. We can go out and get a few souls and do what I should have done in the first place. Prove that in this world **IT'S KILL OR BE KILLED!"**

Flowey realized he'd risen up from the ground with his vines almost wrapped around Frisk's body as if to crush them. Chara didn't give an inch with the only difference being the intense stare of red eyes possessing Frisk's body temporarily caused.

* "Say we killed the humans the first time, *" They started, causing Flowey almost fall flat at the point blank aggression. * "I agree. They should all have died back there. But we wouldn't have stopped you know, so think of this. Would we have met and killed Frisk? They are technically human * "

Flowey growled. "That's different. Frisk is… tolerable. they're better than the rest, but that doesn't mean the rest of humanity isn't worthy of being killed off."

"Who's to say other people can't change. You and Chara changed, even if only a little." Frisk's hands showed they were the ones currently in control. "It's like Papyrus says. Anyone can become a good person."

"Didn't stop you from killing him," Flowey paused, and Frisk's eyes widened. Their arms wrapped around their chest, and they remained silent as Flowey continued. "Why so defensive? You know what you did. He trusted you. He believed you could change, and you killed him!"

* "Shut it Flowey.*" Chara nearly growled but Frisk began shivering, shaking their head and usurping control from Chara. * "That's in the past."

Flowey laughed. "You idiot! If killing them is justified because you fixed everything, then I'm a saint! The only reason you didn't finish the job was because Sans killed you around a few hundred times! You were close to finishing everyone!"

"Stop." Frisk hands shook as they signed it out.

Flowey gave a grimace. "If you want to pretend I've done nothing wrong, then you have to count out how you killed them all. You killed Toriel. You beheaded Papyrus like it was nothing! You killed your so called friends, then fixed it so they could be fine!"

"We fixed it"

* "We fixed it" *

The two's words came out in a meager if defiant cry. Flowey pushed forward. "Sure. Fixing things are great. Everyone does it! Asgore patches things up with humanity, you fix the world so you can pretend you have a home, and Toriel gets to pretend that her precious children were back from the dead-"

But Flowey couldn't finish as Frisk tore out of the room, backpack left behind and eyes flowing in tears. A few moments later, they were gone.

Huh.

Seems like the kid thing was a sore spot. He'd probably feel upset about hurting them if not for his emotionless husk of a soul. Maybe they'd finally give him some peace for once.

He was all alone.

Just like he should be.

* * *

It took a few minutes for Chara to calm Frisk down enough to stop running, but curling into a ball and sobbing was hardly any better. Chara used that productive time to imagine ripping off a certain flower's petals one by one.

Nothing lethal of course. Chara was well past those days of killing monsters, when they could be spending time hating humanity save Frisk. Frisk being an outlier and pretty okay in Chara's opinion. That being said, Chara planned to rearrange Flowey's face into a dusty pulp.

Did stabbing flowers count for increasing your LOVE?

Chara's ghostly form bent down next to Frisk who continued sobbing. Stress and the worries of integrating monsters onto the surface world took their toll on them. Their trip up the mountain should have been a place to rest, even with Flowey being a jerk. But what he said about Toriel was unforgivable.

* "Don't listen to him." *

Frisk's hands shook as they signed "But what if he's right?" Chara sent them a deadpan look. Frisk just shook their head and continued. "Mom knew all of the fallen children. What happens if they stayed? I'm just a replacement." Chara sighed and began to massage their temples. Being a ghost, it didn't really help.

* "She reads to you everynight, teaches your classes, and taught you how to bake that cinnamon and butterscotch pie you love. She never even let Asgore learn the recipe back when I was alive.*

Frisk sniffed and Chara decided to take a chance. They patted Frisk on the shoulder with an awkwardness derived equally from their dislike of humans and physical contact as much as their inability to actually touch anything. However, the sight of their hand going through Frisk's shoulder made the intention clear. Frisk's shaking stopped and their eyes widened it what only could have been determination.

Frisk stood up and began shaking the dirt off their clothes despite the ineffectiveness of the action. They waited for a moment before putting a smile on their face. "I'm better. I just needed to sit down."

*Whatever crybaby.*

Frisks eyes lowered at the phrase. "I don't want to see him again. Do you think Mom will mind if I just leave my backpack and go home until next week?'

*Probably. But that bag is only your spare.*

Frisk nodded before walking over to the nearest Save Point. They placed their hands on it and concentrated for a moment. "Do you think I'll need to use this again?" The turned to Chara who could offer only a shrug. Probably once humanity revealed their true blood red colors.

*Come on. Let's see if you can convince Toriel to make chocolate pie again.*

The two started the long trek to the surface world.

 **Author's Note**

To clear some possible issues up, I used a few different things for dialogue.

Chara will use * "hello" * instead of proper quotations to indicate that they are speaking through Frisk's body or to Frisk. Speaking to Frisk will be in Italics.


	2. A school for monsters

Frisk's ability to use puppy eyes was certainly a blessing since it stopped Toriel from punishing the poor child. Of course, Toriel's reasoning probably made sense. Frisk returned scuffed and battered from a trip they insisted on while missing their good backpack. Toriel's mother henning would be at breaking levels if they didn't distract them.

It took a few minutes, but Frisk was able to convince her to let the trips continue. Something in their heartfelt expression probably spoke to their mother's kindly heart. The trips could continue, but not without suffering some freedom. She or another responsible adult would be with them in the future in order to prevent injuries.

Frisk personally considered this a victory since they were kinda expecting constant supervision for the rest of time. It was good to know practicing their puppy dog look came in handy. Too bad Chara would just give them an annoyed look whenever Frisk tried to use it on the ghost.

Ever since Frisk's ambassador duties with Asgore halted for school, they had been the proud owner of this new and intoxicating sense of freedom. Ambassadoring really just meant looking cute for the cameras, but it took so long and left little energy for playing around. Still, they don't regret helping monsters, and since Asgore moved into negotiations with politicians, Frisk was readier than ever for their own projects.

A certain flower and ghost needed help, and Frisk was going to be the one to give it!

Eventually. After Flowey's words faded a little bit. They were so tired of working. In fact, most of their day was spent yawning.

Luckily, Frisk's soft bed made them pretty content to just lie down for once. Next to them, Chara floated about but always with a central point of focus in mind. San's big book on quantum physics looked dry, but Chara nearly begged for Frisk to ask to borrow it.

* Despite the ghost being incorporeal, they were able to turn the page with their mind. *

Frisk stifled a giggle and moved to help. Chara occasionally interrupted their silence to ask Frisk to turn the page of the book they were reading. Things Chara could touch and manipulate were iffy. They weren't able to naturally move objects like a poltergeist from their books, but with enough determination, they were able to exhibit the smallest pull on the physical world. Frisk thought it was impressive, but Chara's anger at being unable to turn the pages of their book without a herculean effort was understandable.

Speaking of their book, Frisk still didn't know why Chara wanted to read it so much. Chara occasionally muttered fancy words they came across, but Frisk couldn't understand what they were talking about. Sciency words about the void or negative proton torpedoes flew over their heads like the x-wings from Alphy's latest anime and movie party. Maybe Chara's secret of knowing everything came from those books. It certainly felt like Chara knew everything about science and school.

After a few minutes of the muttering, Frisk turned around to face Chara's ghostly form. "I'm sure Alphys could help you with physics. They might even be able to help you live again!"

* No.*

Frisk scrunched up their nose at Chara's immediate refusal and asked again, but Chara didn't respond. The two went through this routine enough times to know it by heart. That didn't stop Frisk from escalating to the ever more important question. "Why can't Alphys help you? She might be able to build you a robot body! "

* I'm not Mettaton *

"I don't know, you definitely have the legs!" Frisk winked, but their expression fell. "She can help you come back!"

The same answer as always. Never did Chara actually elaborate on what the statement meant, which probably sprang from the inevitable fact of Frisk asking to help. They were determined to do it on their own.

"Is that why you asked me to borrow Sans' book?"

Chara glared at Frisk for a moment. * No. I have a longtime interest in jokes about quantum physics. *

"Hey! I still remember what you said to Woshua. I didn't know you were a master of dirty humor. Is there some reason you're so good at that?" Frisk fluttered their eyelashes. Chara raised an eyebrow and stared until Frisk sighed and went back to reading.

Unfortunately, flirting with Chara failed to receive the flustered and embarrassing remarks their flirting caused for other people which took most of the fun out of it. They'd still try every now and again to see if it worked, but Chara's absolute immunity stalled them.

For now.

The two returned to their rest, with the only sound in the room being the turning of Chara's page. Considering Frisk made the effort to turn the page for the nearby ghost every few moments, Frisk debated on asking what was so interesting about physics. The only thing stopping them from investigating was their own book, a particularly raunchy and romantic tale they borrowed from Alphys.

Perhaps they would finally get Chara to react to their flirting. Being a brain ghost meant Frisk needed fresh material since Chara heard it all during their journey. Frisk nestled themselves under their covers and settled down to read.

They'd break Chara's immunity yet.

* * *

Chara's interest in quantum physics did not stem from a preexisting love of science. In fact, their only real experience with science came from when the old royal scientist doctored them back up after first falling into the underground and any following checkups.

For some reason, they couldn't remember the name of their old doctor, and in fact, thinking of him felt weird, but the monster responsible for helping them stay fit also worked as the royal scientist in the underground.

The nameless scientist exposed them to science, but Chara only paid attention to some choice bits. In their defense, they were still a kid at the time. They knew some basic stuff, but Chara didn't find science very interesting. Now they were dead, so their interest grew in a matter of self preservation.

Could they call it self preservation if they were already dead?

Back when they were alive, Chara and Asriel were found of playing around in the Royal scientist's laboratory. Cool machines and papers which looked important but they couldn't read made great backdrops for their games.

Chara would sometimes read from the papers and pretend they were proclamations or secret plans. Asriel and Chara always played together back then.

Chara ended up repressing those memories once they found out Asriel didn't make it.

Regardless of what they remembered from back then, a few pieces of information stuck around in their heads like stuff about energy or facts on monster life. A bunch of nifty stuff but not important. Sure Chara could give advice for Frisk, but they couldn't accomplish anything meaningful for Frisk.

Then they found the research on determination and the void.

The void. Chara could hardly imagine their surprise when they found papers regarding the void scattered about the True lab. While Frisk watched the videos showing Chara's greatest failure, Chara read about the theoretical existence of the void. Borrowing San's book just helped them confirm it.

The void appeared to be a place where negative photons existed. The facts about the void seemed weird. A place of no light or matter seemed unimportant to the living

But perhaps a ghost would hold more attention to it.

If only reading the papers didn't take so long or needed scientific background!

The old royal scientist wrote in some weird language, and Chara's lack of a graduate degree in science hurt when there were plenty of terms they never heard before. Chara hated to admit it, but they had no idea of half the things the royal scientist was talking about. What they did know gave them an idea.

If the void could hold spirits, Chara could exist in a somewhat physical sense there. No light or matter meant the world would be empty, but something should be able to go in. Something like a ghost. They weren't alive or made of matter. They were made of pure spite and determination. They should get in.

Being in the void would anchor them to the reality, more so than their current ghostly form. Instead of being tied to Frisk, Chara would be tied to the void.

Chara didn't lie to Frisk. They did have a plan to come back. Once they were able to access the void, they'd be able to interact with reality. Frisk's determination would hamper them, but their ability reset came from both Chara's and Frisk's determination.

Such an insubstantial ending. The humans were going to kill them at some point. No doubt about it. Monsters were in the way. Chara's plan would be a better ending for them all.

Take away their half of Frisk's determination, and Chara would be able to take control of the timeline and go back to when they first fell no matter what. They were determined to go back. Why kill all the humans now when they could finish their plan at the start?

They could finally reset.

* * *

"My child, it is time to wake up."

Frisk's eyes fluttered opened to reveal their mother standing over them. Their book, open in front of them, clued Frisk into the fact they probably fell asleep in the middle of a chapter. Shame too, because the book was starting to get good. Toriel put a hand on Frisk's shoulder and lightly shook them.

"I'm up." Frisk signed as they yawned. They stretched out their arms and gradually rose up from their bed.

Toriel noticed the open book and picked it up. "Frisk, who gave you this book? "

"Alphys did. Why?" Their foggy brain connected the dots to what they were reading the night before. Panic set in. While Toriel wasn't strict about what they read, Frisk wouldn't push it with the kind of book they were reading. They were just at the best part! What if Toriel took it away? They'd never find out who the protagonist ended up with!

Toriel sifted through a few pages."I didn't know you were interested in quantum physics." Frisk blinked and took a good long look at the cover. Guess they forgot to put away Chara's book, but where did theirs go? With the subtly of a shadow, Frisk used their amazing stealth skills to look around the room without alerting Toriel to what was wrong.

* What's the problem? *

Okay, maybe their stealth skills needed work, but in their defense, ghosts were super stealthy.

Chara popped up from behind Frisk and noticed Frisk's worried look. Frisk responded by gesturing towards the floor where their own fiction book lay open. Chara drifted over and read a few sentences. They sent a deadpan expression towards Frisk.

* Really? * Frisk just shrugged and began getting ready for school. Not their fault if they didn't like reading about the delicate love situation between the three characters. Frisk thought it was interesting. Chara just called it a dumb love triangle.

Toriel thumbed through Chara's book on physics and found a page. She smiled in the sort of way telling Frisk a bad joke was coming. "I'm glad you were looking through such an interesting science. It's a good thing my child has some interesting quarks!" She snorted at her own joke.

Frisk smiled though the joke passed over them. Chara, who read through parts of the book, broke down into laughter.

* Tell her a neutron walked into a restaurant and asked for a drink. The waiter gave it to them for free, because a neutron is free of charge.* Chara laughed harder- Frisk didn't know if Chara knew, but they were floating higher and almost into the ceiling.

Frisk relayed the joke to Toriel, who started laughing too. Toriel flipped through the book then said "It must be easy to tour around as a photon. They're traveling light!"

Frisk resolved to look up sciency stuff after school. For now, they probably should help Chara get out of the ceiling...

* * *

The Monday morning sun shone down on the school ground. Since Toriel usually had meetings in the morning and none of their friends were able to drop them off that morning, Frisk was left waiting by the school door.

A familiar yellow spiked head made it's way into their field of view. "Yo Frisk!" Monster Kid called from the car their sister dropped them off from. "Guess what happened! It's amazing!"

* _"Let me guess._ " * Chara whispered into Frisk's ear. * _"You passed by Undyne for a microsecond and said hi." *_

Frisk shot a look at Chara. _"Be nice. MK is cool and besides, I think he follows Papyrus around since Undyne started dating Alphys."_ Frisk turned their attention away from Chara and waved to MK. "What is it!" They signed once they were next to him.

MK smiled "It's so cool! My big sister came in and showed me how to use some cool magic!"

"What did Alphys show you?" MK's big sister was usually too busy with being the royal scientist to keep an eye on her little brother, but the fact she worked as the royal scientist probably meant she knew tons about cool and obscure magic.

"It's orange magic! It's super cool and apparently kinda rare!"

MK's infectious grin brought a smile to their own face. Frisk glanced at Chara and saw they seemed interested despite their sarcasm or attitude. "What can you do?"

"Tons! Big sis said if I practice enough, I might be able to even turn people's souls orange! It would be soooooo cool! I'd be like Papyrus but orange!"

* "Orange magic corresponds to bravery. It would work like blue magic but gravity would be decreased instead of increased. * Chara's face tensed in thought. * "I don't think many monsters can use orange magic nowadays. I think the last master was my old doctor! Even Asgore can only use it with his trident. " *

Frisk giggled as silently as they could. Despite their harsh words towards MK, Chara kept talking and debating on having Frisk ask questions. Conversations like these were better for both MK and Chara. MK could gain confidence in themselves instead of relying only on heroes, and Chara could feel less stressed about the future if something interesting and hopeful took root in their mind.

"That's great MK!" In fact, MK's magic gave them an idea. "Let me help you MK!"

By bringing Chara's attention to helping MK with his magic, Frisk could help Chara relax and have fun with super cool magic! Get their minds off what Flowey said! Frisk's genius in having fun would go undisputed!

Frisk's hopes of a stress free Chara during the morning came crashing down when a monster that looked like a mouse came running up to them with a phone and a look in their eyes that didn't bode well.

"Frisk! You're ambassador right! You have to check this out!"

* _You feel like something is wrong."_ Chara's serious voice returned. No more funny jokes about snow poffins when they were worried.

Frisk put up a patient smile as they grabbed the phone. Chara was just as worried as them, but they tended to broadcast like that whenever they felt uneasy. The sad thing was that they were probably right as proven when their friend gave them the phone pulled open to a video labeled _"Monster training ground_ " and a thumbnail of a scowling monster that looked more at home in a role-playing game than real life.

 _* Nothing but trash. *_

MK moved closer to peer at the tiny screen. His tiny spikes on his head started poking into Frisk's shirt due to awkward angle he was in, but Frisk ignored it to play the video. .

A man at a cleared off and polished desk looked into the camera.

"As some of my viewers will no doubt already know, We humans have recently been objected to the heinous crime of actual monsters coming into our society."

Frisk's arms itched, and they moved to scratch them. Why did people hate monsters? They glanced at the silent Chara then back to the man who slammed his fist into the desk.

"The school was bad enough. Why would the former Queen want to teach children? But evidence suggests that they're using the school to teach monsters how to harm humans! Our children, who the precious city council allowed to attend! There were classes teaching soldiers how to use their magic on our very souls! Classes where humans are used for target practice- sports where they compete over how many humans they can hit!

Frisk shut the video off despite a full ten minutes being left and handed the phone back to the mouse monster. They gave him a thumbs up then signed, "It will be fine! Ignore them!"

"Okay Frisk!" The mouse continued their way into the school with a little more energy in their step. Frisk stayed still and took a breath to calm their nerves.

MK's tail swung back and forth and occasionally bumped into Frisk's leg. MK didn't seem to pay it any mind as his mouth fell into a pout. "What do you mean? We don't even have any sports other than gym! Some lame rule stopped us!"

Frisk agreed with his sentiment, but they knew why the rule was there. Their mother was worried about monsters and humans playing together, and her sentiments were echoed by other monsters and humans. She said younger monsters had less control over their magic which might put humans in danger. They wouldn't know how to control their magic so souls wouldn't break. In return, any humans who got a little out of control had the potential to seriously hurt monsters.

Toriel personally taught special classes where magic use was discussed and used, but Frisk remembered Toriel drilling both humans and monsters in safety. The supervision of several teachers and the volunteering on a few practice dummies made sure that the class was a s safe as possible.

Toriel only let kids play in gym with the knowledge that their gym teacher was as experienced as she was. A human wouldn't know enough to help monsters, and any normal monster might not be able to intervene in the case of an emergency.

Luckily, Undyne was no normal monster as she proved when she landed right next to Frisk from a drop from the roof. MK flinched backward as the sudden impact. Frisk gave their usual passive smile.

Chara let out a rare heartfelt smile at the sight of their hero.

* That was unnecessary. Still cool. *

"Woah! Undyne was so cool!" Frisk stifled a laugh as MK echoed Chara's words. "Why'd you do that?" The video seemed put out of their minds for a moment.

Undyne grinned. "I was getting pumped for what I've got planned later, but I saw you two troublemakers! How's my two favorite nerds doing!"

Frisk put a hand to their heart then move to sign, "Favorite nerds? What about Alphys?"

"Arghhh! You're full of it! So what were you nerds watching?"

Frisk's face still remained passive, but Chara was expressing enough rage for the two of them, even if Undyne couldn't see it.

* _Liars! Cowards! Tell them off Undyne!*_

Chara was the honorary head of the Undyne fanclub consisting of them, Frisk, and MK. MK being an honorary inclusion since Chara couldn't exactly debate about how cool Undyne was to MK, but Chara would break their usual silence to go on and on about how cool their hero was.

MK's tail resumed it's anxious swinging against Frisk's side. "Undyne! There was this video and they were telling lies and stuff! They said we were going to fight humans and that you and Ms. Toriel were teaching us to fight humans! You can go over and tell them off right? These guys count as bad guys!"

"It was bad." Frisk signed to Undyne. Their word was enough to make Undyne clench her hands into a fist.

Undyne grabbed both MK and Frisk's shoulders. "Listen here! I don't know what a punk like that said, but you have to remember this! What's above you?"

MK glanced up. "Uhhh- the sun?"

Undyne smiled a toothy grin. "Exactly! We've been trapped under that rock so long that we couldn't remember what that big ball looked like, but we made it! So what if some humans don't like what we're doing?" Undyne struck her fists against her chest and raised her volume. "Our hearts are beating together now! Our dreams are achieved, and nothing will get in our way! We're tied to the surface now and nothing will take that away!" Undyne brought her hands to the roast in a pose straight out of an anime. "If somebody's going to complain about it, then they can talk to me!"

MK gazed with Undyne with enough awe to remind Frisk that despite him shifting his hero worship to Papyrus, MK still qualified for their Undyne Fanclub. Chara was hardly any better.

* So cool…"

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

"Hello my children! Today's lesson will be on monster history before we move over to the human side!" Toriel stood in front of a white board holding a ruler which she used to point at a fancy blueprint which was hanging from the whiteboard. A nearby projector stood ready to turn on.

"Can anyone tell me what this is?" She addressed to the room. The typical fumbling around of children of both humans and monsters halted as they pondered the took a closer look and raised their hands. Most of the other monsters did the same. MK's tail started waving back and forth to catch Toriel's eye and explained why she called on him.

"It's the CORE! It's super cool! I got to take a tour once cuase my big sis is head scientist!"

"Very good!" MK grinned, and Frisk shot them a thumb's up.

* Mk's store of knowledge is impressive. * Chara rolled their eyes and betrayed their sentiment. * It wasn't even finished when I was alive, and I knew what it was. *

Frisk ignored them.

Toriel pulled up a projector and started pulling up some slides. "The CORE was designed with the intention of providing monsters with electricity and power to expand. Before this, we didn't have the materials or power for machines. Monsters made do with whatever they could find."

"How were monsters able to make such a big machine?" A human girl raised her hand and asked.

Toriel nodded towards her. "Materials we found in the dump were collected to scavenge for electronic equipment, and their were plenty of deposits of metal in the underground for the previous Royal scientist to use."

Frisk put a hand to their chin. They raised a hand to Toriel. "Who was the last Royal scientist?" Their hands shook as they finished the sentence. Why did things seem clammy all of a sudden?

Toriel paused for a moment. "I'm afraid I can't recall the name. Strange- It must be old age. We were such good friends…" While an answer like that would normally have prompted a series of questions, for some reason, no one asked.

Perhaps it was the sudden chill in the room, but the kids just stayed silent as Toriel recovered and went on explaining the CORE's functions. Frisk put her familiar words aside when Chara started floating to the ceiling again and muttering to themselves. Frisk didn't think they noticed their unintentional movement.

* Why doesn't Mom remember the old doc? *

Frisk looked to their side at Chara. " _Did you know them?"_

Chara paused in their upward float. * Yes. *

" _What was their name?"_

Chara went silent. Moreover, their steady float up stalled when they they shook their head. * I can't recall. *

"Weird! Maybe Asgore knows! I need an excuse to see Dad." Frisk was then forced to stop their inner dialogue when Toriel called on them. Being forced to pay attention again forestalled their conversation until a later date. Frisk forced back a yawn when Toriel shifted into familiar human history...

Frisk's eyes drooped, but the pounding of their heart was enough to wake them up. Something about that scientist seemed weird, and Frisk was determined to figure it out!

Getting a ride would be easy. Papyrus was a surprisingly great driver and always willing to help Frisk out. A quick text during lunch to Asgore confirmed their trip. Frisk was ready to find out the secret of their new pet project!

But when did it get so cold, and why was Frisk feeling so tired...

* * *

"I'm afraid I can't help you, Frisk." Their kind and maybe father, the King of monsters and longitme exe of Toriel shook his head, shaking his messy yet fluffy beard. "It hasn't been that long, but I can only recall bits and pieces."

Frisk cocked their head to the side and fought against the urge to yawn. Maybe they should try sleeping some more. Frisk slowly signed out, "Mom can't remember either. She had to switch the subject during class. I don't think anyone can remember!"

Asgore leaned back on his lawn chair and settled his gaze behind Frisk where the street went overflowing with monster children and human kids playing. Frisk let out a huge breath and took a long draught of their gold tea and let the flavor settle in their mouth. They fought against the sleepiness the earthy tea brought them. They should be awake for this.

"Perhaps Alpys may remember. She's their successor, and all the other lab assistant are all gone now."

"All of them?" Frisk shifted in their seat and hazarded a quick glance to Chara, who was sitting on the balcony, or at the very least, pretending to. (Ghosts can't sit apparently! Seemed terribly uncomfortable.) "What happened?"

* It has been a long time * Chara idly remarked. They were staring at Asgore's garden and let out a sigh.

Asgore shifted in his seat. "All have fallen down many years now"

Asgore's eyes looked weighed down and his gaze was heavy. For a moment, Frisk could almost imagine being old enough to remember previous centuries. The oldest human Frisk could think of was a hundred. Asgore must be several times that.

It must be lonely.

Frisk's chair was pushed out, and they were by Asgore's side in an instant. The bemused king looked on as they gave him the biggest hug they could. It was warm, and for a moment, Frisk let themselves indulge in a yawn. Asgore's hand gripped their shoulder and covered them like a warm fleece blanket. Frisk felt their eyes drift.

Frisk reluctantly loosened their grip when Chara tapped them on the shoulder.

* You ask about your Mom *

Frisk nodded and rubbed their tired eyes. Maybe they should try sleep at some point. They normally didn't get this tried, but it was getting late as conveyed by the setting sun.

Their hands moved at a snail's pace when they signed, "Have you tried talking to Mom?"

Asgore's expression fell into a neutral smile, but his hand was still on Frisk's back. "Tori- Toriel would not wish to see me. Besides this topic seems one better suited for when you are more awake. Not falling asleep in the afternoon sun."

"You should try!" Even indignation wasn't enough to stifle the massive yawn they let loose.

Asgore's gaze fell to the ground. "Not everything can be fixed. Now let us go. Your mother will skin me if I don't get you home and into bed."

Frisk shook their head. "I'm fine!

* Liar. Go to bed.* Chara's attention was on them now, and their concern made Frisk pause for a second. Just a second.

Frisk lightly pushed away Asgore's comforting hand. "Promise me!"

"I don't-"

"That you'll talk to Mom later!"

"Frisk…"

"Promise me or I'll stand here until I fall asleep!"

Was that petty? Probably, but Frisk could be stubborn and this was important! A few seconds of Asgore's heavy gaze passed, but Frisk refused to budge.

Asgore finally nodded. "I promise." Frisk smiled. They'd get Toriel and Asgore back together again. Alphys would give Chara a body, and Flowey would leave the underground! Even if it took every last bit of their determination, they'd do this!

Any further words from Asgore were muffled when Frisk lowered themselves to their nice comfy chair. Maybe sleep wasn't such a bad idea, now that they knew Asgore would talk to them. The energy used up in climbing mountains and staying up late with Chara had to be replenished at some point, right?

They only partially noticed about half an hour later when Asgore, ever so carefully, picked them up and gently brought them to a car. They didn't notice the warm blanket Toriel later put around them or the troubled look on Chara's face.

For some reason, Frisk's dreams were scattered. They felt… messy. Chaotic. Dark.

Yet Darker.

Frisk did not sleep well that night.

* * *

 _ **Notes**_

 **I made some edits about the phone.**

 **In the game, Frisk can talk on the phone. Frisk is generally silent, so some stories have Frisk using sign language, but the headcanon is probably wrong because Frisk does end up speaking in several places such as the many phone calls.**

 **For the purposes of this particular story, I'll be having Frisk primarily use sign language, but I plan to have a reason for that revealed later. In this story, Chara was the one who talked through Frisk by possession, and Toriel wasn't able to put the dots together about it being Chara talking.**

 **I appreciate feedback and constructive criticism. You can't improve if you don't know what you're doing wrong.**


	3. The Void and the Doctor

Chara waited until late night before setting out for their task.

Frisk's exhaustion was potent enough for Chara to feel it rolling off them in waves, and it was certainly understandable. Frisk worked themselves to the limit with all their worrying during the past few weeks, and as deep as Frisk's determination went, they couldn't keep working forever. Between the disastrous trip to the mountain, the stupid videos denouncing monsters, and all the effort in trying to help them, they weren't surprised that the stress took such a toll on Frisk.

Frisk slept for a straight few days after freeing the underground. When they were done traveling with Asgore and looking cute for the cameras as the ambassador, they slept for a solid fourteen hours. Frisk's tendency to work until they drop meant that they really needed the rest when their body couldn't handle the determination.

Which mean Chara's chance of success couldn't be higher.

Frisk tried as hard as they could, but Chara knew the fight was worthless. There would always be those who hated the monsters. Chara needed to take control of the timeline. Monsters and humans wouldn't be able to work together on the surface without bloodshed occurring.

A true reset would be difficult to pull off, so Frisk would definitely remember afterward. Chara wasn't exactly thrilled to break Frisk's trust, but when Chara could show Frisk everything they planned to do for the monsters of the underground, Frisk would forgive them.

When Chara succeeded, a welcoming and friendly underground would mitigate any betrayal Frisk might feel. Frisk would gladly ignore Chara's reset because everything they ever wanted would be waiting just for them.

Frisk could make friends with monsters like Undyne and Papyrus without being hunted down. Toriel and Asgore wouldn't be separated, thus forcing Frisk to choose between the two, and tread carefully whenever they brought up the opposite. In Chara's plan , Frisk could live with a complete and loving family. Including a certain flower…

Oh Asriel. Chara should have known better when they planned to eat the buttercups. Asriel wouldn't hurt a fly, so Chara must have been projecting their hopes on him a bit too much the first time. It didn't matter because Chara would fix it. Flowey would remember everything too, but he wouldn't be Flowey. Asriel would forgive them like always, and Frisk wouldn't be far behind. Frisk wouldn't need to make long treks to convince Flowey to come to the surface or need to research souls to create one for Flowey. The three of them would be a family once Chara finished.

The time was now. The void was waiting for utopia was in sight, and Chara was filled with determination…

* * *

The first thing Chara noticed about their surroundings was the lack thereof. Everything seemed to be dark, in a shade of black ignoring the existence of anything close to light. Was this because the photons were negative? Their book talked about photons being light, and Chara remembered how Toriel once taught them about science. Toriel gave a tough but compressive guide on science on the recommendation of their old doctor, so Chara was pretty confident about basic ideas. Like about how a place an be so dark that no one could see.

They also thought that the void was dark. Not in the can't see three feet in front of you kinda dark, but the can't see you existing kind of dark. In fact, since no photons were there, Chara wouldn't be able to see at all until they produced some light, or at least, they thought that was how the science worked. Did they mention that it was creepily dark? That might have been messing with them the slightest bit.

They weren't worried. They were okay. All right?

Chara needed to illuminate their surroundings, and they sorta knew how. Magic may have been hard to do when they were alive and almost impossible to grasp as a ghost, but in the void, Chara's soul pulsed. Magic filled their crimson red soul to the brim. In fact, their soul being there at all filled them with confidence. It wasn't real of course. Their soul was somewhere else, probably residing in Frisk but Chara didn't exactly have a degree in soulology. What they did know was that they were stronger than ever.

Chara held out their hand, palm up, and concentrated.

A tiny flame, not very useful for fighting, ignited then grew to about the size of a pear. It was a drop of water compared to the flames Toriel, Asgore, and even Asriel could produce back then, but it provided light just as well. A small tinge of pride filled Chara's soul. Humans couldn't produce magic anymore, but when had Chara ever wanted to be one of them?

Time for their second and more important test, but for a moment, Chara paused. It took too much energy to get here, and what if they weren't solid? All their plans hinged on being more physical here than on the surface. Could they go back if it didn't work? Face Frisk and admit to what they did? Go back to listening to humans? Go back to a dumb flower that wouldn't let go of mistakes? Chara took one steady breath and moved...

Their foot inched forward. Instead of gliding like the ghost they were on the surface, Chara's foot hit the quasi-ground of the void. The void shifted beneath them, but it was solid. They were solid.

Chara felt a smirk grow on their face. Only now did they feel the beating of their heart pounding in their chest. Their creepy grin was only a welcome show of their confidence. They were golden. They were anchored to the world! They could Reset, save Asriel, and dEsTrOy EvErYoNe wHo dArE oPpOsE tHeM!

" **You have no idea what you've just done, do you?"**

Chara was brought back to reality with a crashing thud. Chara felt a tight feeling in their chest as their soul came out of their chest and out into the void, casting a blood red glow to the flame in their hand grew larger as Chara turned around to see… something.

A goopy blob of robes or lab coat lookalike held up the creepiest skeleton they could ever remember seeing. At least, they thought it was a skeleton. The face swirled and focusing on its appearance just brought a headache. The void churned next to them, and Chara couldn't shake the feeling that they knew this monster.

" **I never expected my notes to be used like this. How fascinating and utterly maddening."**

*Who are you? *

Chara's voice sounded harsh after so long of disuse, but Chara was confident. Despite the lack of practice, Chara felt Toriel's old lessons in magic spring to mind. In fact, Chara was never able to get so much power out of their magic when they were alive. In the void, their magic and determination came through to the very limits.

Chara flicked out their hand and a replica of their trusty real knife materialized inside their tight grip, burning as bright a red shade as their soul did. Now they were safe. Of course, their replica was mostly a garden knife and more suitable for cutting encroaching vines or tough weeds, but the sentiment remained. A knife was a knife. Every household should own some.

" **You appear to be thinking irrationally. A side effect of too much LOVE, I would wager. I theorized that resetting at such a point would cause some side effects."**

Reset? How did it know about resets?The gelatinous blob shifted closer and Chara felt themselves taking a step back.

No. Never! Big kids showed no fear!

* Get back. You are in the way. *

Resetting would be impossible if the thing attacked. Chara needed time to wrest control of the timeline away from Frisk, and since Frisk didn't know it was Chara, they'd defend it with all their determination. Frisk's potent levels of determination made it too risky for Chara to play around fighting some skeleton, but why did said skeleton seem so familiar? The identity hovered on the edge of their consciousness, but the name always escaped a moment before Chara could say it.

Other factors were also at play in their caution. They were anchored to the void now, so would the skeleton be able to hurt them? Chara put their knife between them and the skeleton for the possible fight. How did their old magic lessons say to start a fight? Toriel never really explained how to attack with magic due to their whole inability to make anything bigger than a spark or simple bullet. Just because they had bigger reserves now didn't mean Chara was a master of using them.

" **Weapons are no use here. The void isn't something to be trifled with by an upset child! The fact you haven't been torn apart only speaks of the strength of your determination, little monarch!"**

Little monarch? A phrase only one or two used back when they'd been alive. The skeleton's identity came rushing to them, but it made no sense.

* You were in the gray door. *

It didn't make sense. How did the mysterious man know about them being the adopted child of the Dreemurs? Most monsters from their time were long grown old, and the ones remaining like Gerson never called Chara by that when they were alive.

The skeleton drooped lower to the ground, and the wretched smile on its face twisted in a way that kinda made Chara jealous. " **You do not recall. Expected of course. The timeline affects even strong souls."**

* Still in my way. Move. *

Chara felt their face twist into a sick grimace. Black liquid pooled in from their eyes and blended into the void. Asriel's so dubbed scary face only grew more terrifying in death. Chara felt a pain in their heart at the thought of their brother and almost paused in their actions, but Chara squashed away the feeling when they remembered they'd see him soon enough.

" **Fascinating. The LOVE shares a similar appearance to the void. I'd wager they are of the same ilk, yet I have evidence of you using it when you were alive and LV 1. If only I had my tools here..."** Gaster trailed off when Chara took a step closer.

Whoever the skeleton was, they were in Chara's way. Magic practically burned in their non-existent veins. Perhaps they could remember some of their attacks? The ones they worked on with Asriel were impossible to do with their previous, pitiful reserves, but Chara wasn't human anymore, were they? However, it wasn't a flurry of knives and fire which came to mind.

Asriel wouldn't like this would he? Not the flower, but the person. The thought of Asriel stilled Chara's beating heart. They used to color all the time with Asriel and name all the cool magic they were going to use in the future. The two's favorite game had been the god of hyper death and the demon. Asriel would always say that they'd be heroes, but how could they when they were planning to sue those attacks to fight the skeleton.

The mysterious man stayed silent as Chara clenched the hand holding their knife. The flame in their other hand cooled.

Asriel wouldn't really like them just bashing a skeleton's face in for just existing. In fact, a lot of Chara's actions would be frowned upon. Frisk wouldn't summon a knife just because the skeleton was creepy. Admittedly very creepy, but Asriel and Frisk wouldn't jump to their weapons first.

" **The effects of your LOVE appear to have faded. Perhaps we may talk like civilized beings?"**

Chara heard the words the skeleton said, but they slid right over Chara's head. They hilt of their knife tapped against their side and formed a nice little syncopated beat with their heart. They were just high strung, that's all. Flowey's request from before just shook them a little. Chara took a deep breath and let their knife fall aside. Now how would Frisk do this?

* Your presence despite the void is perplexing. Would you care to not a-void any explanations? *

The moment's silence became deafening to Chara's ears.

" **A clear contrast from earlier behavior. The specimen appears to no longer be affected by the effects of EXP and has returned to their normal, childlike passion for ill-timed humor."**

The skeleton showed no signs of acknowledging Chara's questions, but Chara's temper already faded. Frisk and Asriel would probably want them to be friendly, right? They were doing this for them, but the the presence of Chara's soul and the possibility of attack kept them cautious. Chara hesitantly tried another joke.

* You, regrettably, have no taste with your disavowal of puns. A skeleton might find wordplay to be humorous, do they not? *

The skeleton groaned. " **I hear enough of the bone puns. You'll find that as ill-conceived and repetitive yours are shaping to be, the attempt was doomed to failure at the start. Only one monster can surpass my tolerance. Tibia honest, I have developed quite the backbone for ignoring bad puns. You could say I don't have the stomach for spineless attempts at humor. "** He said this all with a straight face and not a second lost for thought.

* Your own ribbing disproves your point. *

" **Then I would hate to be the one to patella you this, but a more sternum attempt at humor would avail in polite conversation."**

Chara tried to think of a response. They really did, but a massive laugh built up inside them until it burst out. Chara fell to the ground in helpless giggles.

" **It's unfortunate that you are just a child. You didn't deserve what happened"** The skeleton's magic ceased its hold on Chara's soul. The red heart faded into Chara's chest amidst the giggling and the mental scramble for more punny ammunition.

Finally, Chara was able to reorient themselves. Maybe their tolerance for flirting was through the roof, but honestly their true weakness was really bad puns. It took a minute of giggling and the skeleton's patient face before Chara put themselves back together. Chara returned to a stoic expression, but they were still smiling on the inside.

The skeleton just sighed. " **Why must most of the royal family have a weakness for bad jokes? King Fluffybuns never did live down the name, though it's certainly better than anything he could come up with."**

Chara stifled another bout of giggles.

* Who...? * Chara relaxed in the skeleton's presence. It was nice to talk to someone who wasn't Frisk or Flowey because as great as they were, Chara missed talking with monsters. This monster reminded them of when they'd been alive and happy in the monster underground. In fact, the memory reminded Chara a little too much of their life.

The name was right on the tip of their tongue. Chara slowly sounded it out. * Doctor? G- Ga-. *

A phrase came into their mind with an ease convincing Chara that it was there all along.

* You are the man who speaks in hands. *

The skeleton's face lit up.

" **Human, you remember me?"**

They did. Or at least, they thought they did. He was their old doctor, so why couldn't Chara remember any better?

" **I see you don't recall the name Gaster completely, but It's heartwarming to know my existence still exists in some minds. Now I feel better about my proposition."**

Chara tilted their head and blinked. Gaster was his name?

Gaster rose taller than Chara. " **I need the use of your soul."**

Chara's hopes came crashing down. Their knife came back up when they jumped away from Gaster. It's sharp edge formed a protective barrier between them.

" **I do not wish to harm you more than necessary, but the use of your soul is necessary."**

They just got it back! Technically, it was always there, but Chara was pretty sure it was mixed with Frisk's, and the sentiment still remained.

* What use is the soul to you? *

In fact, what was Gaster even doing in the void? Chara still didn't remember what happened to him, but he should be alive, or at the very least, dust by now. But Gaster's next sentence brought that line of thought to a startling close...

" **Little monarch, resetting won't work."**

* It will. It must. *

Chara's hands shook with the fierceness of their rebuttal. Gaster only sighed.

Gaster waved his hand and in the void, a circle appeared with an image of Frisk and Chara's rom. " **I've been watching long enough to know your plan, and I know that it won't work."**

Chara peered through the window and saw it shift to images of Frisk's friends. First appeared an image of Undyne and Alphy's house where the two were sleeping, then Mettaton and Napstablook working late, and finally a slow image of Toriel, asleep in her bed, appeared in view. The feed was probably real time because next there was an image of Frisk shifting in the uneasy sleep Chara left them to.

* My last save file exists. Frisk overwrote it, but since when were they in control of what is mine? *

Chara jumped backwards when a hand, a creepy disembodied hand, flew past them and began to fly around Gaster.

" **You are an intelligent child for your age, but you lack a deep understanding of what you are doing. What do you plan to do when you reset?"**

Chara smiled, not in a creepy way, but a relieved one because now they could convince him. Besides Gaster was still around when they were alive, so he'd like their plan.

* Asriel will absorb seven souls. *

" **A plan that ended in both your demises."** Gaster spoke it as matter of fact like they were discussing tea and not assisted suicide.

Chara pointed to the mirror portal. * Azzy is full of determination. He will remember the mercy he received that day. *

Gaster scowled as the portal, seemingly unconsciously, changed to a view of a lonely Flowey rooted next to the bed of flowers Chara knew held their grave.

" **Frisk fell long after you did, little monarch. Do you plan on accidentally destroying them in the crossfire of your war against humanity?"**

Pressure was building in Chara's soul as if Gaster was about to attack but restraining himself. But this whole mercy thing was working, and they hadn't even gotten to the best part of their plan.

* Asriel will bring them to us. *

" **When they don't exist yet? I don't suppose you plan on letting the biological donors live long enough to give birth to Frisk?""**

* We can-* Chara tried to interject, but nothing was stopping Gaster. He rose to a towering height over Chara, who was never exactly tall to begin with.

" **I suppose you don't know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the child's vocal cords. You use them often enough to realize that Frisk should be talking. Any damage to them is physiological. Do you suppose that you wish to force them to repeat that, little monarch?"**

* Enough. * Chara's soul pulsed, and flames around them ignited.

*You talk of secrets that aren't yours to tell.*

" **Then they shouldn't have been said to someone who's listening. Now put out those flames. They wouldn't hurt a babybones much less what i've become."** Gaster stared at Chara, who realized that maybe threatening to burn someone alive wasn't a really pacifist thing to do. They reluctantly extinguished the flames except for the little one they used for light. Silence filled for the void for a few minutes while Chara slowly breathed in and out.

* Why can't I reset? You will return just as much as I. *

" **I am afraid that I am beyond the confines of time at this point. The matter's hypothetical anyway. You can't reset."**

*Luckily, this next move will prove you wrong. * Their soul let out a pulse of light which brightened the void.

Gaster simply sighed and dropped to his normal height.

 *** Try. I won't interfere."** The pressure on Chara's soul faded. Chara breathed a sigh of relief. They won! And without using knifes!

Time to show them all. Chara's soul still floated right above their chest. Chara gently grabbed it and closed their 'd show Gaster. He'd be brought back with this plan along with Asriel. Monsters were better anyway, so why shouldn't they rule the surface? The plan was foolproof.

Chara gathered their strength and R.E.S.E.T.

* * *

After a long night, Frisk rose from their bed. They yawned but were completely satisfied with breathing in the fresh early air. Anything was better than the nightmares of the shadowy places. If their dreams were haunted, then the best they could do is have the best mornings possible.

Frisk's hands lazily rose to sign out a, "Good morning Chara!"

Nothing.

"It's morning!" Frisk's hands were moving a little faster now.

"Chara?" This time, Frisk drew on the strange link in their soul and thought hard. Their room was empty.

Frisk stood up and wandered over to their dresser. Chara liked to pull pranks every now and then, but Frisk had them this this time! Frisk threw open the door to their wardrobe!

A few hangers of comfy sweaters and striped shirts swayed from the force Frisk used. Frisk peered in to see if Chara was hiding behind their big floofy winter coat Toriel bought them for when Fall would start dying out. Still nothing. Frisk shrugged and picked out a purple shirt with a blue stripe down the middle that they pulled over their head. Maybe Chara was under the bed?

"My child, it is time to wake up! I know you are exhausted. I would love to let you sleep, but I have a meeting today with Undyne!" Toriel entered the room, but she stopped in place when she saw Frisk wedged in the space between their bed and the floor.

Frisk looked up from the floor to see Toriel's face beaming down at them. Frisk shoved their way out from under the bed and stood up. "Will Mk be there to play?"

Toriel nodded. "I believe Undyne is dropping him off. Why don't we get breakfast before you play?"

Frisk smiled, then found themselves gripping Toriel in a hug. The nightmares were weird last night. Some strange and static-filled faces kept asking them for their soul. Frisk buried their face in Toriel's clothes. A warm hand landed on their shoulder, and Frisk just let themselves forget for a moment.

"My dear child, why don't we take a little break for this week?I have a surprise for you later today that you might like"

Frisk nodded and followed Toriel to the kitchen. Taking a break sounded nice didn't it? Once Chara sprang their surprise, Frisk could relax and play around with the ghost. Frisk could feel it in their soul. The impending week, it filled them with determination! Frisk grinned and looked for the ghost again. They usually loved giving cheesy lines like that.

Chara was still nowhere in sight...


	4. A Few Talks

"And then Papyrus said "Nyeh heh heh" and lifted the cat from the tree using his blue magic! Man, Papyrus is so cool!" Frisk slowly nodded in agreement. Mk continued, "After he gave the cat back to old lady, he posed all super cool!" Mk spread his legs wide and his tail pointed up in a super cool imitation of the Great Papyrus. Frisk couldn't help but join Mk with a cool pose of their own. The leaped on top of Toriel's desk causing Toriel's number one mom mug, which Frisk made in art class, to shake. Mk did their best to outdo them by jumping up on a student's desk in one impressive leap.

Papyrus was perpetually cool and perfectly poised, so Frisk tried their best to emulate his confident smirk. Frisk was honestly surprised that they hadn't formed a Papyrus fanclub yet. Mabe when they convinced Flowey to come to the surface, Frisk, Mk, Flowey, and Chara could all form one.

Frisk's gaze wandered around the room. No sign of Chara yet. Maybe their prank was for later? Shaking their head, Frisk turned back to MK. "Papyrus is the coolest." Frisk signed out then tried to subtly look around the empty room for a certain ghost.

Being early enough in the morning for coffee to be waiting in Toriel's mug, the studentless chairs scattered about should have given Frisk a clear view of any hiding place Where was Chara?

Mk didn't notice their odd behavior.

"I know! He even stayed and talked to the crowd which gathered! They were so impressed. Well, I guess most of them. There was one guy though…" Mk trailed off.

Frisk looked down from their spot on Toriel's desk. Mk hopped off his desk while keeping his head and tail to the ground. "He kept arguing with Papyrus. He was making a big fuss about using magic, and other people started joining in too."

Frisk tapped their foot. It hit Toriel's pen.

Mk raised his head. "Hey, I guess the guy went watching those videos. You know, the ones about magic. I talked to big sis about them. She said people keep coming to the lab about them."

Frisk hopped down from the desk. Mk gave a slight flinch, but he didn't compliment Frisk on the super cool move. Frisk swallowed. This was serious wasn't it?

Mk's tail curled around his legs. "Big sis told me to stop watching them, but I did so anyway." Curl, uncurl, curl, uncurl, his tail went. "Man, it's just unfair! Over the weekend, some rotten people started trashing the lab."

Frisk's hands tightened into a ball. Usually, Chara would be talking right about now. Frisk could focus on helping them instead of being alone with their thoughts.

Mk blinked and moved a bit closer. His voice went to a whisper. "I was there. They were really angry. Alphys started talking to them, but they were shouting and waving around baseball bats."

Frisk's hands rose… then fell. They could think of nothing to say. There were a lot of Floweys out there...

"They smashed some of her stuff. I wasn't scared!" His voice raised now. He took a breath "But it looked scary. Sis must have been scared. She might not be as brave as I am." He chuckled with his eyes darting to and for like he was trying to convince himself better.

"You know, I thought that the surface would be better than this! I mean, the sun is great, but people are so mean. I thought... it would... be cooler..."

Mk was interrupted when Frisk put their arms around him and pulled him close. Mk stifled a yelp. Frisk close their eyes and forced their mouth to move, to speak, to give Mk some reassurance.

Nothing.

Mk's tail curled around Frisk's leg. He smiled. "Guess what though! Undyne showed up! She was pretty cool I guess... " He was doing his best to pretend he still was angry at her for trying to kill Frisk at the bridge, but the way his tail tightened around Frisk's leg gave away the truth.

Frisk pulled away. "What did Undyne do?" They made her name sign with their now free hands.

"Man it was so cool! She grabbed a desk and threw it at them! Undyne literally tossed those bad guys out of the lab!" Mk's head bobbed up and down.

"We should make a club. For Papyrus and Undyne and talk about how they always save the day."

"That's a great idea! Man, we could talk about how cool they are! And how they're always saving the day from bad guys!"

Papyrus and Undyne were the greatest. They saved the day through puzzles or spears. Except when they didn't, and the maniac continued through Snowdin and Waterfall covered in dust. When they were covered in dust...

"Hey Frisk!" They shook their head out of those dangerous thoughts. Mk beamed at them. "Thanks! I was feeling kinda down, but you always know what's best to say!" Mk's tail finally released its stranglehold on Frisk's leg.

Even if they didn't say it out loud. The word went unspoken. Mk probably didn't care, and Frisk… didn't care either. Seeing Mk grin was enough.

It was quiet for a moment. "Hey Frisk? Let's see if the school cafeteria has any breakfast. I'm kinda getting tired of ramen." Frisk nodded. Ramen was only good when it was dry.

Before they left the room, Frisk looked behind their shoulders. Toriel's desk was a little messed up, but it just looked like an empty room. A flower perched in the window gathering light,The desks were pushed aside for the night with the papers shoved inside or taken home.

Dead quiet. With not a single soul in sight.

Dead quite, Like the Underground was. Nothing but a flower waiting alone.

Dead quite. Alone like Frisk was.

* * *

"Hey Toriel! Catch!"

Toriel didn't need to look up from her papers to snatch the onrushing silver whistle. An impressive feat considering the last time Undyne misjudged the distance, the whistle embedded itself a few feet into the wall from the force of the throw.

"I believe this is yours?" Toriel looked up from her seat in the mostly empty lounge at the school. Most of the teachers, both humans and monsters, were either the overzealous sort that were already in their classrooms, or catching a few extra minutes of sleep. Which was probably why Undyne asked to meet with her now.

Undyne laughed with the sort of intensity usually reserved for supervillains about to give a monologue. "I used to to think that Asgore was the tough one, but I bet you could probably catch an entire spear no sweat!" The laughter boiled down a tad when she saw the mild glare Toriel sent at her. Undyne pushed on though and ventured to an even more dangerous topic. "When are you going talk to the big guy?"

Toriel set the whistle next to the stacks of paperwork needing to be graded or sorted. Usually the lounge was better kept than this, but ever since the water main next to Temmie's room burst open, the mathematics teacher started keeping paperwork and a supply of temmie flakes in the lounge. None of the teachers could actually tell which was which, but at least Temmie's teaching skill was a valuable addition to the school.

Toriel stood up from her chair and deliberately ignored Undyne's single eye when she answered the question about her former husband., "I deal with him later. What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Oh yeah!" Undyne unceremoniously dropped into a chair. "I thought I tell you that I'll be missing some parts of the week. You're going to have to ask around for someone to watch the little punks."

Toriel shifted her posture. Her hands clasped together in front of her chest. "Whatever is this for? You usually love watching the children." By watching, she meant showing them how it was quite possible to bench press the entire class.

Undyne waved her statement off. "Nah. They're all little brats. You know Frisk started to teach them all to sign out fish puns the other day in capture the flag?"

Toriel snickered in a matter probably not suitable for a former Queen. " I presume that you were too busy chasing after them to play properly?"

"And I would've caught up to them too if they weren't so good at scurrying!" Undyne scowled but shook it off. "Alphy's little brother ended up sneaking off with the flag when the entire class was watching our epic duel! Shouldn't have let Jerry be the one to guard the flag."

Toriel smiled. "Strange. With such a warrior like yourself, one may think you would have noticed something fishy going on."

"Yeah wel- HEY! NOT FUNNY!" Undyne jumped up from the chair so fast that the poor piece of furniture went crashing to the ground.

Toriel broke down into giggles at Undyne's scowl. Still she shook herself out of it when Undyne spoke again. "Anyway, Alphys has some big convention where she's going to talk to some fancy shmancy science people. She seemed a little nervous, so I'll be going too." Undyne nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders.

Toriel slowly nodded as her laughter died out. The convention was a little more important than Undyne would like to admit. Toriel had been among the first people called about the incident at Alphy's lab. Understandings about magic was difficult. Worse still was the knowledge that monsters could absorb human souls, but at least nobody had started talking about the exact details before this conference.

"I certainly understand why you're needed. I wish the two of you luck. You will be explaining how magic works correct?" Any uneasiness was hidden behind centuries of experience. Toriel smiled

Undyne flashed a grin back. "Heck yeah! My super smart girlfriend is totally going to ROCK that convention!"

Toriel cocked her head to the side. "What will Mk be doing during the convention?" The poor child would probably be bored if he was dragged along, not to mention missing school days.

Undyne shook her head. "We're planning on asking some people to watch him. Can't take the punk along. The kid would probably be zoned out in ten seconds if he goes!" Her fists clenched. "Plus uh. You know. Mk might be a bit upset about the whole lab thing. That kinda touchy feely stuff is out of my league."

"Hmm." Idly, Torel grabbed one of her notes. It was a personal calendar with various dates written on it. One date stood out in particular circled in red ink. The trip she needed to unfortunately talk to her former husband about.

"We could have them over." An idea struck Toriel. "Frisk would love to have a big sleepover with Mk for the next few days. Then if Asgore agrees, Frisk and Mk could go with us when we go on our trip."

Undyne head whipped up. "You talked to him?"

"Not yet." Toriel clenched her hands. "But I could keep an eye on the children during the trip with or without him." He probably would be incompetent at it anyway. The foolish-

"Hey! You're doing the thing!"

"Excuse me?" Undyne's unexpected comment caused Toriel to look up.

"Yeah the thing!" Undyne flexed her arms. "Where you look like you just want to wail on someone! Clenching your hands, tensing, and all that fun stuff! Alphys said I do it too!"

Caught up with her musings with Asgore, Toriel paid no mind to what she'd been doing. Considering that there was a ruined pen inside her death grip, she must have been more than a little obvious about her distaste.

Undyne put a hand on Toriel's shoulder, a breach of the usual semi-professional manner Undyne always treated her with. "Hey, I'm no good at this mushy feeling stuff, but it's okay to feel like that about the big fuzzball."

"The murderer."

"Aren't we all?"

Toriel froze. Undyne's smirk fell as she gripped Toriel's shoulder. "I love Frisk to death you know, but at first, I was just about ready to impale the kid. A lot of the guard were ready to."

"Following Asgore's orders!" Toriel was torn. Undyne was brash, but she did care about the children. But then again, she would have been one of those putting her children in danger. Toriel would treat Undyne with the respect she deserved now, but she was well aware what Undyne would have done...

Undyne laughed. Eardrummingly loud. "We were all prepared to lay down our lives to keep the rest of monsterkind safe. Just like Asgore. Was killing kids worth it? No, but we had to push forward. Hope was falling."

Toriel took a deep breath. "You didn't kill those children in the end. Asgore did."

"And the number of monsters he saved from falling down by doing so don't matter?" At Toriel's horrified eyes, Undyne shrugged. "I didn't like it, but Asgore saved lives by doing it. Like I've said before, you don't have to forgive him. Just let him see the spot where his damn kid is buried."

Toriel tried to make a response, but she found that she couldn't quite think of the words. She just watched as Undyne stretched her arm."That's enough of this soppy emotion stuff. I bet the two little brats are getting in some kind of trouble." Her teeth bared like a shark's grin. "I think I'll go help them out!"

Toriel was left with the ink of a pen covering her papers and her thoughts. One of those things were debilitating. The other she'd have to apologize to Temmie for ruining the tem-flakes for.

* * *

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

It was this close! Just a little bit out of his reach. The crucial point of his quest lay for the taking.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Past the long confines of the broken ruins of a city he'd not seen since a child. Battling the frigid cold on his path! Past the land of water where angry fish yelled at him and saying he failed his duty!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

The sweltering heat could not stop him. It couldn't even melt the roof of his shop! No spider could stop him on his path!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

For hidden in the corridors of judgement lay the specially made red bottle of nectar. Custom ordered from Grillby's and pressed from the finest of tomatoes from the surface no less.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

His greatest secret that didn't cause people's eyes to rot out or be lost in time and space. The greatest bottle of ketchup to ever be mixed by Grillby!

"SANS! Wake up! Your alarm clock is beeping! Though heavens knows why you bought this screeching one when you could have been using the alarm gifted to you by the greatest puzzlemaker ever! NEHEHEHE!"

Wait a minute. Sans didn't have a new alarm clock. His old one played his brother's admittally catchy boss theme to wake people up. His brother claimed that waking up surrounded by greatness would inspire Sans. Papyrus built it himself (helped by Alphys of course. Lots and lots of help).

In fact, Sans's hatred of alarm clocks meant that their houses, both in the surface or in the underground, didn't even own any alarm clocks before now. So what could be making the noise?

Sans reluctantly opened his eyes.

Well, it wasn't an alarm clock. His room seemed more or less normal. The self-sustaining trash tornado was working at any rate. Replicating his room from Snowdin wasn't exactly the easiest task for the lazy skeleton, but Sans was pretty proud to say that it worked. Down to the sock, his room was the same save some newer additions. The picture of the first monsters plus Frisk on the surface was fine. Sans glanced at the various letters, pictures, or other cool stuff that Frisk liked to pass on. No beeping from them.

"Sans! Wake up!"

"Alright Pap. I'm coming."

The beeping continued, and the tiniest non lazy part of Sans began to worry. Sounded kinda like his terminal from the lab or the gear from the old man.

It sounded exactly alike.

Nah. That was ridiculous. That was set only to ring if some terrible issue in the void was happening. Or time and space being reset. Considering the fact that Frisk was pretty happy and made sure to tell him that they wouldn't reset, it couldn't be time and space.

That still left the possibility of an issue in the void.

Sans sighed and reluctantly took a shortcut to his old gear. Probably just a malfunction.

 **DoN't FoRgEt...**

In another moment, Sans was rolling on the ground clutching his skull. The disturbance was loud enough to send Papyrus running. While worrying his brother was something Sans would never want, there was a bigger issue.

Sure he didn't forget the old doc, but he could only remember snatches and pieces of him. He didn't remember exactly what he looked like. He didn't remember that his followers had fallen in just like him. He didn't remember an all-consuming darkness.

But now he did...

* * *

" **ThErE oNcE wAs A mAn WhO fElL iNtO hIs OwN cReAtIoN."**

It was dark. Now, the darkness never really bothered Frisk as a rule of thumb. It was tough to wander around in, yes, but Frisk wandered around looking for adventure on a near daily basis. There were too many more things to be scared about.

This darkness was a little different. For one, Frisk could really see anything at all. The fact that the darkness spread forever was also an interesting point. Oh yeah, there was also that strange sounding voice. A voice that brought into mind despair. Invoked madness. Hearing it, Frisk could hear the cries as if a hundred voices met despair for the first and final time. A horrible crescendo of notes played on the ever-present darkness. So Frisk did what anyone would do in the situation.

"Hey gorgeous, where have you been all my life?" Frisk signed out and winked. They extended their fingertips and shot finger guns at the darkness.

" **They're all insane. I'm employed by the longest living royal family, but they just happen to all be insane."**

There! That was better! Now the voice sounded normal and rather professional too! Frisk was ready to add another rejection... they meant successful flirting to the list!

" **It can't be genetic. Forty percent of them are human and adopted. Does the family just attract them? Considering the fact that the captain of the royal guard is practically adopted and also insane, I'd like to think that."**

"Undyne is cool!" Frisk was quick to defend the hero of the underground. The darkness just sighed as if resigned to an entire lifetime of this sort of thing.

" **We don't have much time available"**

"That just means I'll keep it close to my heart." Frisk winked.

" **The timeline is damaged. I require your soul to fix it."**

Frisk blinked. Now that sounded kinda bad. Normally, this was then part where Chara would be there to tell Frisk useful tidbits about the situation.

They waited. Nothing. The darkness stifled any thought. Frisk smiled anyway and signed out, "Perhaps we can have a talk over some dinner about whatever I'll do?"

The darkness shifted and a figure stepped forward.

" **I'm sorry dear child, but whoever said that you had a choice in the matter?"**


	5. Meanwhile

Chara tapped the portal window that Gaster allowed them to use. Unfortunately for them, the window didn't shatter into a million pieces creating a glass portal of raw magic that would allow them to move out the stupid void and into reality. What it did do was mess the image up, so they were forced to wait until it reformed so they could go back to watching their family in the real world.

" **Sitting and brooding will not help matters."**

The doctor did his best to sneak up on them again. Without an iota of surprise, Chara casually glanced back to their former doctor with his stupid ability to unexpectedly appear when least wanted. Actually that did seem familiar, which might explain the fact that the good doctor had not once succeeded in sneaking up.

* "You are mistaken. I am not brooding." *

Dr. Gaster managed to raise a pretty convincing eyebrow for a giant pile of goop with a skeleton head. " **Because staring at Frisk or the rest of your family for the past three hours signifies standard behavior."**

Chara rolled their eyes and went back to staring at the window which settled into an bird's eye view of their mother's classroom. An evanescent glance to the world quickly becoming out of reach. A paradise just out of reach. Well actually, it had humans, but the point remained.

* "You previously explained that it's unwise to leave when running low on energy." * Idly, Chara focused their magical power (in itself, a wonderful feeling) and summoned their knife/garden tool. They began twirling the knife while ignoring the doctor.

" **Perhaps trying to kill the void tired you out. Summoning a dozen of those is impressive for one who previously struggled with sparks."**

Toriel's lesson on proper grammar suddenly became a lot more interesting to Chara. Mk trying in vain to gain his teacher's attention to answer the question became the center of attention rather than the the lovely mix of disapproval and superiority adults adopted when they were talking to a younger child.

" **Another exhausting thing might be the oozing blackness pooling out of your eyes or the fact that your LOVE rose from one to nineteen. Perhaps if you were to lend me your soul..."**

Chara wiped the oozing blackness away then covered their ears and huddled to the ground in the effort to get some sleep and hopefully gather some energy. This was difficult considering the ever dark void seems to churn under them. Getting comfortable was difficult, but considering the fact that Chara didn't have a body not a few hours ago, anything was bearable as opposed to being dead.

Out of the corner of their eyes, Chara noticed the good doctor disappear to elsewhere within the void. They waited a few minutes before sitting up. The doctor didn't come back. They waited a few minutes more. Still nothing. Relaxing just the tiniest bit, they allowed themselves the luxury of sleep.

Chara didn't stir as the void (figuratively) overtook them.

* * *

A once great scientist stood over an assembly of broken mirrors, perhaps symbolic of his own broken life, but then again W.D. Gaster was too stressed to continue with wordplay and metaphorical thoughts. Or not. Depended on the situation really.

" **The child refuses to cooperate."**

A few shards from the shattered mirrors rose from the void and began to circle around him. The doctor picked one out and held out his hand to which the mirror landed in. A face peered back from the glossy surface. Loyalty was hard to come by, but Gaster was always proud of his followers. Being sucked into non-existence was one thing, but still striving to speak with their former leader despite all that occured spoke spades about their loyalty. They were always there with good advice and recommendations.

"Take the soul by force. Besides, it's also the only way to escape."

Never mind. His followers were idiots.

" **And risk alienating the subject which may I remind you, assisted in mass genocide?"** Honestly, it was a wonder that catastrophic failure took so long to occur for his minions. Trying to forcefully take a popsicle from a specimen with a LOVE of 19 was suicide. Trying for their soul? Gaster wasn't willing to die. Again.

Another mirror was picked up by one of Gaster's magic, though it was rather uncounsioness rather than a deliberate use of his magic. One by one, the mirrors spun around him as if he was a planetary body and them his moons. The faces of his loyal followers peered at him with their static expressions. The doctor sighed.

"The child will return to the surface if actions are not taken." One of his followers began.

"And the chance to gain the soul will diminish" The second follower spoke up without a moment's hesitation.

"And you will remain forgotten."

It was admittedly impressive watching his followers continue the train of thought without any pauses for breath. One after another speaking. Impressive dramatics, though, the doctor wondered if they know how off-sounding it made them. Did they practice? What else was there to do while being non-existant? Gaster knew that solitude drove thigns made. Even he was feeling a bit **gLiTcHy.**

" **I will gain the soul. I've already borrowed energy from the specime- child. You forget communication like this wasn't quite possible only a few hours ago."** Gaster waved off the mirror's concern. His followers remained unimpressed.

"Then take the soul from the living half."

" **Hence the purpose of the dreams. Honestly, I'm confused on why you don't trust me. I've gained the other six souls after all."**

Then from the void, called like the strings from the puppet master, six souls colored like the rainbow surrounded the doctor. The followers, despite perfectly well knowing he had the souls, gazed in unchecked awe. Most of it was probably scientific curiosity, but at least some of their anticipation came from the thoughts of unlimited power.

" **You do realize their limits will be hindered until we recover a living soul. One charged with enough determination is needed to jumpstart the others."** Honestly it was like Gaster was minding children. In fact, Goner Kid was far better behaved and informed then the rest of his servants.

Speaking of whom...

"Where is Goner Kid?" His follower asked.

Gaster cocked his head to the side. " **She resumed communication earlier. Asking about the plan and if she'd be able to see her brother again. The usual sentimental, irrational feelings."**

"What did you say to her?" Nervousness crept into the follower's question. Gaster shrugged it off as performance anxiety. They were scientists not public speakers.

" **Just the review of the plan after the cHiLd/SpEcImEn is well and truly deceased-"**

Gaster whirled around. A terrible premonition filled him. The mirrors around him flung to the side, crashing against the floor, as a terrible thought came to mind. Surely the foolish child didn't misinterpret what he'd been saying. He'd explained the plan to the group. He even had a (Don't ask) powerpoint to assist the child.

The child with no degree in science. The one that liked poetry more than fact. The one that disappeared halfway through the powerpoint unnoticed by the engrossed Gaster at the time. (Common enough for everyone really back when he was alive).

" **No. Unfortunate. Unacceptable. Quite illogical. Child?"** He called out

The doctor took a shortcut in the void to where the specimen had been sleeping. Where the experiment had been. He fully expected to see them there. Taking the only logical action to return home. Instead...

The mirrors shattered and the very void shook as Gaster beheld the empty place where Chara had laid. Where his plan was operating. Where the success for all ever built was hinged.

Nothing was there.

" **Child? I needed to ask something? Are you still watching King Fluffybuns garden?"** The doctor's words reverted to his child-voice.

Nothing **.**

" **Child?"**

" **eXpErImEnT**?"

But nobody came.

* * *

A shuffling sounded through the void. What would be a silent trawl in the real world, mostly likely borne of a lifetime of crawling out from the watchful eyes of parents, turned into a deafening, cacophony of sound to Chara. That was why when something moved to seize their shoulder, they were ready

(So they liked to use big words. Sue them. They were dead, so confusing Frisk with big words was one of Chara's only pleasures).

Chara awakened from their fitful slumber the instant something scaly touched their shoulder. They rolled into a ball and sprang up with a spark of fire sprouting from their fingertips in the most terrifying way they could make it. Their face curdled into a grimace. "Greetings."

"I wondered if you ever thought about existing or not. The idea seemed relevant to our earlier discussion."

At first, Chara was disappointed it wasn't some terrible void demon. They'd get the chance to smash the demon's face in then drag it feet first to Frisk so the poor kid could use some mercy on it. The figure in front of them wasn't a terrible monstrosity that they would spook Asriel with sadly.

In fact, the monster in front of them was familiar. The kid that looked just like Monster Kid in fact, if Frisk's friend was gray, spooky, and prone to talking about depressing thoughts on a level that made even Chara anxious.

Chara let the flame in their hand fizzle out.

* "You recall asking Frisk to forget about you." * A question easier to ask then why the kid was in the void in the first place.

"When the world forgets you exist, why bother speaking of accomplishments never made?"

Without missing a beat, Chara replied with,* "It is the only way to make new accomplishments. New goals. New partners." *

"So says one who clings to their family, living through another."

* "Replies the one that hides from their own." * The kid flinched. Chara smirked as their guess went right. Serves them right for their poke at their family situation.

The kid paused for a moment to think after that. Chara nodded and cut the whole "I am a demon act." While the kid was admittedly good at the game, there were better things to talk about.

* "What purpose do you have here? Better would be your name." *

The child's tail swished much like MK's would, which gave Chara a reasonable idea on what they were dealing with. The child finally looked Chara in the eyes. "I will be known as Goner Kid. When the world forgets who you are, the name you carry is meaningless."

Chara rolled their eyes. Whatever happened to gullible kids like Asriel or Frisk? The monotone words were getting tiresome. Chara rather prefer it when others didn't remind them of their own feelings.

Goner Kid (No way that was their real name) twitched her tail. "When the world forgets, names are meaningless. But those that harbour those forgotten names will not lose themselves that easily."

* "Dr. Gaster." *

Goner Kid's eyes flicked to and from. "Names have power. That name in particular. You of all should now the power of demons that come when you call their name."

Chara's back itched, as if the ghosts of the last reset were watching and judging them. * "The doctor plans to take my soul." *

Goner Kid nodded. "We must depart. The doctor will act soon. The void awaits"

And since Chara didn't have the energy to go home yet, they were stuck in the void. Great. Nothing like an endless field of the agony and sorrow of yesteryear to haunt them while they traveled.

Chara snapped their fingers to summon their knife in an strictly unnecessary but admittedly awesome way that would make Asriel proud.

* "The thought of the voyage before you, the trials you will overcome. The thought fills you with determination…" *

Goner Kid turned to look at them. "Are you narrating your own quest?"

Chara reluctantly shut up after that. If they were internally narrating another adventure, no one would ever know. At least until their next story received the spook Asriel treatment. When they got a soul for the the flower or reset the timeline. Whatever came first.

Chara wondered what their brother was doing now…

* * *

Now Flowey knew that he shouldn't be annoyed, mostly because he no longer held the potential to be annoyed. The sensation was familiar of course. When he got bored, he certainly felt that. The problem was that the feeling lacked something. A crucial part that made up the existence for the others. What annoyance he felt was muted like he was striving to hear music but could only hear an echo. An echo obscured by several walls so that it was a dull thud in his mind. In short, what Flowey felt wasn't truly annoyment. It didn't make him feel alive.

He still wanted to kill that annoying dog.

"Ruff." The dog blinked, innocent enough except for the incriminating package clutched in his mouth. A bar of chocolate in his mouth which for all intents and purposes shouldn't be giving Flowey such trouble.

Except that chocolate was the one Toriel left for Chara. Chara's chocolate. His (first) best friend's chocolate.

Befitting some monster of his age, one that was an ancient being once unconstrained by the laws of nature, Flowey thought he handled this terrible trespass onto a sacred relic as appropriately as possible.

"D I E !"

A circle of bullets surrounded the dog perching next to the refrigerator. Flowey grimaced as the bullets finally tore into the dog. Who cared what silly little Frisk thought? He'd been wanting to catch the annoying dog for ages. This was it. The fool must had been confused by the lack of the barrier, and despite Frisk's occasional stories about the dog's antics on the surface, it still made its home here. And now Flowey would succeed at one of the things he never accomplished. The bullets landed home

 _Flowey used friendliness pellets! It's not very effective…_

The dog continued grinning its stupid grin while Flowey was left contemplating the end. Because he recognized what his magic looked like. He recognized the ability to use check to determine hp. This was standard for magic on all fronts. Even humans could see these stats when dealing with magic. That being said, Flowey definitely recognized the layout of a pokemon game from the time a gameboy had fallen. (Charmander all the way. Watch it all burn!) His magic now resembled said pokemon game.

At the very least, it was using the updated graphics of Firered instead of the original...

The Annoying dog stared directly in Flowey's eyes as if it knew what Flowey was busy contemplating in that kitchen. It probably knew what Flowey was doing in his old house in the first place (sulking as much as emotionlessly possible). The Annoying Dog stared past Flowey to the exit he was blocking. Deliberately, the dog took a step forward in Toriel's old kitchen.

"Don't be an idiot." Flowey summoned another barrage of pellets but with the power adjusted to max. The dog raised one eyebrow (HOW?) and put its foot down.

And that was how the Annoying dog led Flowey on a chase halfway through the underground. All for a chocolate bar that it didn't even take but instead was lying in the fridge. Because the laws of reality did not dare play against the annoying dog. The dog could easily steal chocolate from the surface with the same brand as Chara's chocolate which wasn't even in existence anymore. Because hax, aka admin privilege.

Flowey would hate his existence, but he really couldn't properly manage that anymore either. Life still sucked though. Stupid no emotions. Stupid inability to kill humans. Stupid Frisk with their stupid ability to remind Flowey that life sucked.

They were probably up there right now spending time with their stupid friends. Everything going swell. Stupid Frisk. Having a great time...

* * *

Frisk was not having a great time.

"Frisk! Wake up!"

Shadows played across their head. They could faintly hear a voice calling out their name. Hey, it was probably Chara coming back! Frisk tried to send them a message, but a shadow knocked into them and all thoughts began to hurt.

"Frisk!"

"Can you hear me, my child?"

The same voice kept calling out to them. Again and again, it asked for one thing. " **the eXpErImEnT"** Frisk didn't know what that was, but it probably wasn't any good. Again and again the voice chanted.

"Yo, Frisk. I'm really sorry!"

Water splashed against Frisk and shook them out of their desk and onto the floor. Heavy eyelids opened to reveal the worried face of Monster Kid peering down. They moved to sit up. A few other of their classmates were openly staring. Toriel was crouched next to them with a hand on their back.

Frisk slowly shifted from the floor. Frisk noticed that Toriel's hand remained clasped on their shoulder. They rubbed their eye and signed out while still lying on the floor, "What happened?"

"You tell me Frisk!" Mk's tail crept out and Frisk grabbed it so that Mk could help pull them up. Vertigo hit them the moment they were on their own two feet, but Mk's tail pulled them back into balance.

Toriel's hand still held their shoulder. "My child, you fainted in the middle of class. Have you not been getting enough sleep? Do you need food? Are you sick?"

Frisk closed their eyes for a moment. Maybe being sick wasn't a wrong idea. They couldn't remember what had happened, but it didn't leave them feeling any confident. They just had a headache. A pounding headache that made everything seem dim.

They barely noticed when Toriel shepherded them out the door. When an upset Papyrus loaded them into the car and set their head down to rest on a pillow in the seat. When a worried Sans and Toriel whispered together near the curb as Papyrus drove away.

Frisk wondered where Chara was. Hopefully someplace away from this headache. Hopefully having a better day than Frisk.

* * *

" **Where do you think you are going, eXpErImEnT?"**

Needless to say, Chara was having a bad day.


	6. Goner Kid

A few key problems quickly emerged as Chara traversed the void. These weren't minor problems like forgetting to flex at Aaron to get rid of the little bugger. No, that would be a cakewalk in comparison. These were full blown Undyne is chasing Frisk and throwing spears (Like a badass but still) kind of problems. The kind of things you couldn't forget to account for in your plans similar to telling your brother to murderize the humans instead of reason with them. Big, annoying, troublesome problems.

* "The void swirls in a shape reminiscent of a snow poff." *

In front of them, Goner Kid didn't blink an eye as Chara narrated. The monster simply trekked forward in the expansive mists towards some unknown goal. Honestly, what were they even doing? Wouldn't it make more sense to hide and rest until Chara could regain enough strength to leave? Frisk's compulsive need to check every corner came to mind. Did all little kids want to explore every little corner or expanse? Did they all need to check every trash can and snow poff? It was a good thing that Chara was a big kid. Big kids didn't cry or get lost in senseless plans since they knew better than to go on a big journey doing absolutely nothing.

Chara looked behind their shoulders. Nothing stalked them in the night, and no big, evil doctor that once was oh so close to the royal family appeared to menace the traveling party. Or that was his evil plan and what he wanted them to think! Maybe he was counting on those goody two shoe heroes to be caught unaware because good guys were dumb! Unfortunately for the doctor's plan, demons weren't so easy to catch off guard.

Chara grinned and pointed out their index finger. A tiny spark lept forth than vanished into the void. Chara screwed up their face in concentration, breathing in and out of their nose as they thought of warm things like Toriel's butterscotch pie, blankets, pie, fireplace stories, pie, furry goats, and pie. Chara stopped for a moment to look in their pockets. No snacks which sucked because Chara knew Frisk always had snacks for occasions like this.

They jumped when Goner Kid's tail slapped against the void's … floor? Big goopy idea that allowed any that traversed the ethereal plane to morph the world with the power of their expectancy of reality? The positive effect of jumping was that the spark from before they wanted lay holstered in their fingertips.

They crossed their fingertip in front of them just like they saw Mr. Dad Guy do when showing Asriel how to conjure fire. Their spark now sprouted tinier sparks ready to be flung like bullets while they struck a cool pose.

Chara blinked…

 ** _And the demon stood before the mad doctor's terrible gaze. The doctor rose his hands and around the dueling two, the sound of fingernails screeching against the floor distracted the demon while a horde of skeletal hands (curiously devoid of fingernails) surrounded them._**

 _ **The demon grimaced a sick grin before the horde. "Looks like free exp…" The fires of damnation rose before them. Indeed, the doctor was no match for the god of hyper death's right hand. The sick reaper of souls rose their hands, and the flames surrounded them with a dark and abysmal fire-**_

"Is that not a waste of energy? I thought big kids didn't play games." Goner kid's tail tapped the void as if it were yelling at how much time they were wasting, never mind the fact that Chara wasn't wasting any time playing. Still, Chara's spark extinguished immediately. They turned away from Goner kid's stupid gaze.

Still bored. Maybe they could try talking again?

* "You look at the void. The void stares back. What a thrilling event."

Goner Kid wasn't chatting back. Unfortunately for them, Frisk gave Chara a ton of experience with going between super chatty and silent protagonist once Chara overcame their initial panic from being soul bonded to some human. So Chara kept narrating.

* "You look at the cloud shaped void. Or is it a void shaped cloud? The world will never know. " *

Maybe Chara should try out for a degree in narration. Would one of those be offered at a university? Like one of those Zelda games with their fairies or other companions made of sword-hat things that Chara totally needed to finish playing once they got back to the surface. Chara would totally count as a narrator!

Chara had no one to make the joke to that would get it…

The silence in the void taunted them. Now Chara generally liked the quiet, but in the depths of the void? Any interaction with fellow monsters ( or honorary monster Frisk) would be needed to stave off insanity. Imagine being trapped in the existence without anyone to talk to. Anyone would go a bit mad.

Which was why Chara was relieved when Goner Kid broke the silence. "Your storytelling is not needed in the void."

Chara remained straight faced at Goner Kid's comment because a salty brat was better than the void.

* "The insistence that the silent void is preferable quite entertains." * Chara shot back immediately though in good humor. It was nice talking to a sassy monsters as opposed to being stuck with all of two people- the grief-ridden flower and one grief-ridden human.

Goner Kid stopped the trawl and turned to face Chara in the eyes. "What story can be told from the one who wished to disappear? The thought terrifies me."

Chara blinked and stared straight at Goner Kid after their retort, meeting them in their gaze. Chara's own dead eye gaze must be working better than ever because the kid's tail twitched. Chara smirked.

* " An interesting response. Do you have fun with staring into the water while hoping it can swallow you forever?" *

Quite purposely, Goner Kid took a step forward. Then, with an emphasis on every syllable they whispered just loud enough for Chara to hear.

"Buttercups."

A knife materialized by Chara's side in an instant. Their eyes widened with the killing intent pouring a hole into Goner Kid.

* "You are sentimental for past mistakes then?" * Chara's eyes trembled in silent fury. Vaguely they recalled a sensation of something oozing out, but their focus remained on keeping a savage grin in their face.

"The hopes of monsterkind… How easily forgotten by the rest of the world."

* "The plan would have worked." *

Goner Kid giggled. Chara found the sound of what should have been form a joke or suitable in a schoolyard to be quite jarring against the void. "Everyone would always talk about you two being so close. How you were a sign for the better. I shudder to think what they would have thought about those video cassettes."

Chara breathed in and out through their nose, but rather than try to calm themselves, they were thinking of fun things like bonfires and witch trials. They thrust their hand out at Goner Kid…

Gone Kid didn't seem to notice Chara's action as no spark emerged from Chara's hand. Their heart was trembling with fury, but no flame would sprout forth. Goner Kid advanced. "Looking at the war efforts after your death, how many monsters stopped their peacecraft to turn to war?"

On one hand, a tiny part of Chara stood paralyzed as both monster and human continually escalated the situation. Chara wasn't one to suddenly go back on their promise to try to more kind and understanding like Asriel and Frisk from just a few hours ago. That part of them that wanted to just talk dragged Chara's hand to their eyes and touch the oozing blackness coming out. They forced the muscles in their face to contort around the terrible grimace that had formed. They could smile… right?

But for another part of Chara, they thought of fire and brimstone, obsidian and roastings. They motioned like Asgore when he first attacked Frisk, and Goner Kid went stumbling back. But there were no flames. There was no hellfire. For a moment, a memory of pie went by, but it was consumed by their building headache. Everything hurt…

Except the growing part of Chara that didn't feel anything.

Chara paused and Goner Kid, probably taking it as a sign of weakness pressed forward. "I didn't find out until the doctor's accident erased me. An accident you caused by your actions" Chara gripped their knife while staring holes into Goner Kid.

 **"I'm actually confident that the experiment would have proceeded without the unfortunate incident that occurred with the royal children."**

Chara tore themselves away from their staring contest while Goner Kid found themselves fall to the ground with the speed they turned around. Doctor Gaster materialized out of the darkness as if he'd always been an integral part of it. As if he'd been watching the entire time.

Dr. Gaster shook his head at the fallen Goner Kid **. "You had the worst of luck child. I was about to recommend a different career choice seeing as science wasn't suited for you the day of the incident. It was regrettable, but I never thought you held such blame."** The doctor bent down close to Goner Kid who slowly crawled away from their spot on the ground. **"I am unused to children and should have realized you felt so strongly** "

Goner Kid hesitated for a moment and looked back and forth between the doctor and Chara. Then in a wink, they disappeared from sight. Dr. Gaster sighed. **"I'll speak with them later."**

Chara blinked out the oozing blackness from their eyes. The doctor made no sudden moves. In fact, he stood a comfortable distance away with no evidence of the madness he'd shown before. Considering how Goner Kid obviously had some sort of grudge against them and probably lied about the doctor, it wasn't too far a stretch that their own inability to converse with living beings heightened the problems with Dr. Gaster. Sure, he showed signs of instability, but Chara had been part of a two person mass genocide and probably couldn't criticize.

The doctor respectfully nodded to Chara, taking his attention away from where Goner Kid had been crawling away. **"Hello there child. Is there a reason your love is flashing between one and nineteen?"**

Perhaps everything would be fine. Chara just ended to calm down and their weird LOVE would go away. Everything would be fine.

 **"dOn'T WoRrY sPeCiMeN! i'L tAkE yOuR sOul!"**

Sometimes Chara just wanted to crawl into a ball and never speak again.

* * *

In an underground cavern, a boat floated above the river water. Despite most customers leaving the kingdom for the bright future of the surface, the boat remained ready for whenever the next customer would desperately needed a shortcut out of Waterfall. Indeed, in the height of the Underground's time, the boat was one that was constantly in use. No elevator could be built betwixt the onrushing water and vast expanses of stone, and so the boat was there and ready.

Too bad flowers can't use boats.

"Tra la la. Look, a talking flower. That's not something you see every evening. Tra la laaaa."

"Why don't you drown in your stupid boat you stupid freak!"

Stupid Riverperson. It wasn't even evening. Flowey was just done. Done with the stupid dog that tricked him into thinking it stole Chara's chocolate. Done with the stupid River person who always would cryptialy talk about things that were sooooo mysterious. More like bloody obvious. Flowey was done with this!

He just wanted to be left alone.

"Tra la la … A prince mourns for what was lost. Must be Tuesday… Tra la laaa."

Flowey just grumbled. As much as he wanted to dust the riverperson, painful experience told him it was a terrible idea. Painful, painful experience. They had a nasty habit of knowing when Flowey was about to murder everyone and would always leave town behind. When Flowey would make the spontaneous decision to try to dust them, the Riverperson would make just enough ruckus for a guard member, usually Undyne, to finish him. They'd do that or like the one and only time he actually succeeded in sneaking up on them, they'd forcibly rip him out of the earth root by root and violently drown him using nothing but their cloak.

Stupid Riverperson.

Flowey would have sent a friendliness pellet over at one of the walls to knock it over, but that might startle the boatkeeper. He compromised instead by counting the number of pebbles lining the walls conveniently faced away from the perspective of any passerby.

"The man who talks in hands has been busy. He owes me twenty bucks… tra la laaaa."

Huh. Know that he thought about it, the River person was talking a lot more than usual. That was… new. New was interesting enough for Flowy to look up from his pebbles to pay attention to the River person staring off into the distance. Something seemed off and not just the River person. The entire Underground should be empty, but Flowey couldn't shake the impression that something was watching the two.

"Tra la laaa. Someone needs water the flowers. I wonder if the fallen child will."

Flowey blinked. And blinked again. Experience told him that the River Person would give hints about secrets scattered about the underground. He'd actually found most of those secrets thanks to the River Person's advice. He was bored too. He might as well check out the flowerbeds since he needed to water them again anyway. It wasn't like anything was happening anyway. Frisk wasn't due to visit for a day or two. Maybe the River Person meant that the brat came early. Flowey would go swing by his favorite sunspot and pretend to try to kill them again.

What was the worst that could happen?

Unbeknownst to the flower, a pair of eyes followed him as he dove into the underground. A greyish shape twisted its head, then followed...


End file.
